First Impressions
by BrownieFox
Summary: Link makes some stew and Zelda meets some new people. Post btow


"What are you making?"

Link looked up as Zelda knelt down next to him. She was wearing his snowquill outfit, the dirty white dress from before now resting in her room. After defeating Calamity Ganon, they'd gone back to Hyrule Castle and rested up. By silent agreement, they didn't go to any of the stables.

Now they were just beyond the walls of Castletown, or the ruins of what once was Castletown, or what will one day be Castletown again. Link had gone back into the castle, lugging out the cooking pot that he'd seen in the guards quarters, placing it in the grass and piling wood beneath it, starting the fire with a magical sword (one of the few weapons that had survived his raid of the castle). Piled next to it was a couple of pumpkins as well as some butter, milk, and wheat.

"Stew." Link said, voice quiet and rough. While Zelda had slept, curled up in her room on a bed of the clothes that Link had collected throughout his travels, Link had visited the leaders of the four races. Everybody had seen the Divine Beasts' firing their attacks, and Link had reported to the leaders personally of the success, wanting to keep the exact events from getting out until Zelda was ready to return publicly to her kingdom. "For the others."

He set to work cutting open the pumpkin.

"Ah, yes. The others."

Link looked up to see Zelda worrying her bottom lip, eye fixed upon Link's hands as he worked. He wished he knew what that look meant. The memories of his past was still so spotty, brief glimpses of moments being all he had.

Riju, Sidon, Teba, and Yunobo were on their way to Hyrule Castle right now. The first people that Zelda will have met in a hundred years. The two of them hadn't talked too much since the defeat of Calamity Ganon, since the victory they had worked so hard to achieve. He didn't know anything about what she had been through. He was almost scared to ask, to be faced with it.

He finished cutting up the pumpkin, separating the seeds and 'meat', putting the rest into the pot along with the other ingredients. He reached out, hand hovering over Zelda's hand were it rested on her knee, wanting to offer some comfort but not sure how.

"I-" He managed to choke out, cut off both by his own throat refusing to say anything more and the quick-tapping of metal footsteps.

Both Zelda and Link stood as one of the guardians skittered over to them. The fact that his sword wasn't glowing with power was proof that the calamity was gone from the mechanical creature, but he stayed on edge. Zelda stared at it, unblinking, in the same way she had to all of the other guardians around the castle, and then nodded. The guardian didn't nod back, but it did run into the ruins of Castle Town. The princess must've seen the confusion on his face and blushed lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind one of her ears.

"It, ah, saw a zora and was reporting to me." She explained.

"Link!" Running across the field was Sidon, so easily spotted with his bright red scales. Link noticed Zelda stiffen a bit and stepped closer, hoping the action would bring her some comfort. Link waved to the zora prince, who only stopped when he was upon the hylian hero. He swept Link into a hug, lifting him off of the ground. Link felt more than heard the rumble of the overjoyed laugh that Sidon gave. "It's true, you did it! Calamity Ganon has been defeated!"

"Yep." Link squirmed a bit in the hold, the embrace just a bit too tight, and Sidon set him down. The zora's grin was wide, sharp teeth displayed so clearly that to one unfamiliar with Sidon it might've been unsettling, but Link just found himself mirroring the expression.

"Oh my." Zelda's voice was quiet as she gazed up at the towering fish man. "You've grown so much."

Sidon turned to Zelda, and Link could pinpoint the exact moment when it sunk into Sidon exactly who he was looking at. He knelt down on one knee and bowed lowly in front of her. When he brought his head back up, his face was filled with awe and respect.

"Princess Zelda," He said his name reverently, delicately, "I never dreamed I would get to meet you in the flesh, old enough to remember it." He bowed his head back down. "To think you've been fighting Calamity Ganon this past hundred years while I stayed in my domain… I am truly sorry."

"Don't be." She put her hand under his chin and lifted it to look him in the eye. "Your duty is to your people first and foremost. And I am no princess, not until I know whether or not my people will still have me."

"They will." The words toppled from Link's mouth, and when the attention turned to him his throat closed up again. His hands completed the thought. _'They will have you.'_

"We can only hope." Zelda said with a sad sort of smile.

"Still, to see you is nothing less than a miracle!" Sidon declared, swing an arm in front of him and flashing another stunning grin. "When Link stopped by, requesting a welcoming party, I didn't hesitate in coming!"

_'I'm making food.' _Link signed and nodded over to the pot. He'd put a shield over it to act as a sort of lid.

"Yes! A perfect way to welcome Zelda back! Such a good idea, I even thought of it myself." Sidon untied a pouch from his belt and offered it to Link. Several fish sat inside, clearly having been living no too long ago.

"They look delicious." Zelda praised. "It will be a moment before we can eat - we're expecting a few others."

"You won't be waiting long."

Teba landed right next to Zelda, straightening up in a flourish that Link was sure even Revali would have to admire. Zelda looked startled for a moment, but then visibly composed herself again. Link looked at her hand, his fingers twitching as if trying to grasp it despite the distance between them. Instead he busied the twitching by taking the fishes and picking some sticks up off the ground, preparing to cook them by the fire.

"It's Teba, right?" Zelda asked hesitantly. Teba nodded.

"Yes. Are you the princess?"

"Just Zelda is okay." Zelda repeated, putting a hand out for a shake. The large rito hands essentially engulfed most of her arm, but it was a handshake all the same.

"I've heard stories of you my whole life." Teba looked her up and down and then nodded. "Perhaps before I met Link I would've doubted some of the things that were said, but I don't doubt you will live up to expectation."

"Ah, yes, expectations." Zelda's hand that wasn't held by Teba clenched into a fist. The memory Link had gained by her room flashed through his head and his heart skipped a beat as emotions that felt almost disconnected surged through him. He stood abruptly, memories flashing in his eyes.

"You sa-" Link started, but the word caught in his throat. He sighed in frustration but brought his hands up. _'You said we wouldn't have to wait long?'_

"While I was flying I saw a gerudo woman riding across Hyrule field, as well as a cloud of dust heading towards the castle that I'm assuming is from the goron delegate coming." Teba explained.

"Didn't you say the goron was the descendant of Daruk?" Zelda asked, seeming glad to have focus at least a bit less focused on her.

_'Yes. He's able to use the same protective shield as Daruk.' _Link nodded.

"What do we have here?" Teba was looking at the fish and the pot.

"Link's making a pumpkin stew." Zelda knelt down and the lifted the shield, allowing some billowing steam out as well as the scent the cooking pumpkin.

"Hm, can't say I've had the pleasure of eating such a meal. Pumpkins don't fare well in the cold of Hebra." Teba admitted.

A great rumbling heralded the arrival of Yunobo, the goron approaching with amazing speed and then jumping out of his curled up ball seemingly moments before bowling the four of them over.

"Wow." The goron breathed. "I've never seen a zora or a rito before."

"Nor have I a goron." Sidon put his hand out. "I am Sidon, son of Dorephan, heir of the zora throne."

"Oh, uh, I'm just Yunobo." Yunobo scratched the back of his head but did his best to shake Sidon's hand, seeming to be very careful not the crush the much smaller hand.

"Teba, the most skilled archer of the rito." Teba introduced himself and received the same hesitant handshake.

"W-wow! I'm not, uh, I'm not really anything special." Yunobo admitted, looking away shyly.

"I'm sure that's not true. From what Link has told me about you, he couldn't have freed Vah Rudania from Calamity Ganon's power without you." Zelda put a hand on Yunobo's arm comfortingly.

"R-really?" Yunobo buried his face in his hands and the familiar orange barrier popped up around him. Zelda was pushed away a bit abruptly but Link was able to swoop in behind her and catch her before she could fall.

"Really." Zelda urged, smiling softly.

"I take it this is the meeting to greet Princess Zelda?" The final person arrived, the young gerudo chief Riju bringing the horse she had been riding to a halt before them. Her initial dismount was graceful, but upon hitting the ground the winced. "How you Hylians can stand riding horses for such a long time, I will never know."

"Chief Riju, correct?" Zelda stepped forward and out of the group. "I am Zelda."

"When Link arrived and said you were still alive, I'll admit I doubted him a bit. But you're exactly as the stories describe you." Riju turned to Link. "Link, do you trust her?"

"Yes." Link said without hesitation. Zelda looked like she was trying to conceal her own surprise at that. He'd admitted to her, after all, that he didn't remember much about his past.

But he did trust her. He had gone this whole journey with the only goal being her, to save that voice that had pleaded to him as he stood outside of the cave, looking out at Hyrule castle. Along the way it had been added on that saving all of Hyrule was good and a thing he also desired, but the foremost reason had always been her.

Riju got down on one knee like Sidon had, head bowed respectfully.

"Then in that case, I the current Chief of the Gerudo reuse pledge my allegiance to and respect the authority of you, Princess Zelda." Riju said.

"As do I. I trust Link, and after what you both have done to rid Hyrule of that plague of a monster, the zora will stand by you." Sidon followed suit.

"I can't speak for the rito, but I can speak for myself. I will help you if you ever find yourself in need of rito help." Teba knelt as well, followed by Yunobo.

"I, uh, I'm willing to help you whenever you need it too."

Zelda took a step back, then another. Her face was contorted, brow furrowed, eyes glistening.

"W-... How… None of you know me, you can't just- can't-"

She didn't finished telling them whatever it was they couldn't do, instead turning around and running to the temple.

"... I should've have done that." Riju said a bit too late, standing back up.

"This must be overwhelming." Teba added.

"I know the weight of expectation is a heavy burden, and yet I so readily placed it in her." Sidon sighed.

"I should go apologize." Riju started to go after her but Link shook his head.

_'No.' _He pinched his fingers together and then cleared his throat. "I'll go. Just make sure my stew doesn't overcook."

"Oh, stew!"

Link found Zelda in her study. The aerial guardian flew above the doorway but didn't attack Link as he entered. Zelda was sitting in the floor. The silent princess that always grew here was in her hands and she twirled it between two fingers. He legs were brought up to her chest, an arm wrapped around them, and Link sat down across from her, waiting for her to speak.

"How can they so casually vow their service - their _people - _to me?"

_'You've earned their trust and respect.'_

"But I haven't! How could I? I didn't know they names until today, and the only one I've met before is Sidon, who admitted he doesn't remember me. I-I was the one who chose their ancestors to be my champions. I may as well have sentenced them to their deaths!" Zelda wailed and tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Zelda." Link said, almost too quiet to be heard, inching closer to her until he was holding her in his arms. "You've done more for Hyrule than I have."

"What? Link, you defeated Calamity Ganon-"

"With the use of_ your _bow of light." Link's voice didn't raise in volume, but it became somewhat firmer. "Zelda, while I was in the shrine of resurrection, you were keeping Ganon at bay, doing more good for Hyrule than I was. And you seem to be forgetting that it was you who dealt the final blow."

"I… I don't think I've ever heard you say so many words." Zelda gave a watery chuckle.

"If you're afraid of their devotion, the best thing you can do it show them it's not misplaced." Link continued.

"... you're right Link, of course."

They sat there for a moment longer, as Zelda wiped away tears, red-rimmed eyes gradually softening to pink. The tenderness of the moment was interrupted by a loud growling from Zelda.

_'Hungry?' _Link signed.

"So it seems. I'll need to get used to eating again." She stood and they exited her study together, the aerial guardian hovering at the perfect place for them to step onto its back and be brought back down to the road. "Let's go make a better second impression."


End file.
